


Gaslight

by thesudokukid



Category: Zombies Run!
Genre: Other, S3M45, Sominex/Suppertime II, Songfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-06-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:02:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24706525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesudokukid/pseuds/thesudokukid
Summary: There’s a bad feeling in the pit of your stomach that won’t go away.I drank some teaBut gee the feeling wasn't goneYou’re pretty sure the reason Sam hasn’t checked in yet is because he’s not actually there at all.
Relationships: Runner Five/Sam Yao
Kudos: 5





	Gaslight

**Author's Note:**

> This is a songfic featuring Sominex/Suppertime II from Little Shop of Horrors. There are probably spoilers for The Walk in it.

As you stand there staring at the controls you were directed towards you can’t help but feel that something is _off_.

The pin number seems like a warning somehow. Three three five eight.

_You laugh when you see who else is standing at New Canton’s gate. Simon Lauchlan, Runner Three. And Sara Smith, Runner Eight. Three plus five make eight. And for bonus fun, you all grew up Catholic._

_You call for the gates to be raised while still laughing, shocking Sam and Nadia out of their argument._

You miss those days. You miss feeling like you’ve finally found a home.

Three, three, five eight. Something doesn’t seem right. And you don’t know why. You haven’t been noticed. Yet. But you probably don’t have long until you do get noticed.

Three, three, five, eight. Sam had arranged the three of you to run together because he knew it’d help you laugh again after Nadia.

Thinking of which…

“You know, for something so important I can’t help but notice I haven’t heard Sam ‘wander into’ the comms room yet.”

_I couldn't sleep_

_I took a Sominex_

_But the voices in my head kept saying_

_Go to Seymour, talk to Seymour_

“He’s busy helping Janine with something,” Moonchild says. “We don’t have time for this. Just punch in the codes so we can get you out of there and back to Abel.”

There’s a bad feeling in the pit of your stomach that won’t go away.

_I drank some tea_

_But gee the feeling wasn't gone_

You’re pretty sure the reason Sam hasn’t checked in yet is because he’s not actually there at all.

“Pick another lie,” you say, trying to find a good hiding spot. “If it were _that important_ he’d come to check in before going to help Janine. I know him. I know what he’s like. I know what he does. And another thing, I wasn’t briefed on this at all. And when I say briefed I mean, I didn’t get a 100 pages worth of Janine’s briefings.”

“She didn’t have time to-”

_Seymour, sweetheart_

_Tell me, darling_

_What's been going on?_

“Then I’d have gotten what she did have time for. This isn’t critical. It can’t be. And you’re definitely not in Abel either. You couldn’t be because if you were Sam would have come in by now to ask if everything was okay. He hasn’t. And Janine hasn’t come in to lecture me yet. Because she’s not going to. Because this isn’t a mission for Abel at all. This is a mission for _you_. So I won’t do it.”

\---

You want Abel. You want Sam. You want home. Then, like a wish, like a dream, like a prayer, another voice breaks through.

_Hey little lady, hello_

_“Who said that?”_

“Runner Five, is that you?”

“Y-Yeah.”

_You’re lookin’ cute as can be_

_Is somebody in there?_

“You’re in kind of a tight spot, aren’t you?”

“Just a little.”

One of the Comansys guards knocks on the door and you hold your breath even knowing it won’t do you any good.

_You’re lookin’ mighty sweet_

_Seymour?_

“I guess it’s lucky you still look like a kid then, considering the mess you’re in, eh?”

You laugh without meaning to.

“I really needed that. Thanks Sam.”

“Oh is that who you think I am?”

_No, it ain't Seymour_

_It's me!_

_“Oh my God!”_

“ _What?_ ”

Oh God. Oh god. Oh God. Shit. Fuck. _Fuck_.

_Your friendly Audrey Two_

_This plant is talking to_ you

_“I don’t believe it!”_

“I’m his cousin Lawrence actually. Long story. I’d guess he didn’t bring me up because he thought I was dead.”

“That _doesn’t_ seem like him at all.”

“Would it help if I proved it,” Lawrence asks.

_“Believe it baby._

_It talks”_

_“Am I dreaming this?”_

“Uh-wh?”

“His younger sister’s full name is Nikki Lavenza Yao. His mum wears a fluffy hat at New Year’s. He majored in electrical engineering at university. He has a mild fear of clowns. Two of his favorite authors are Isaac Assimov and H.P. Lovecraft.”

“God I wish this were a dream, then this’d be easier to understand.”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to be disappointed.”

_“No & you ain' in Kansas neither” _

You gulp, “I’ve got a really bad feeling about this.”

_“Something’s very wrong here”_

“Close friend of his then,” Lawrence asks. “I assume you have to be, getting all wound up like that over nothing.”

You’re about to open your mouth and tell him to knock it off but a tone stops you.

_Why were you going to talk like that to Sam’s cousin again?_

“You might be right,” you say. “So, how do we get me out of here?”

_“Oh relax and go with it doll_

_Do me a favor, will you sweetheart?”_

_“A favor?”_

“Now you’re seeing reason. Unfortunately I can’t just do that for free. I’ll need a small favor from you first.”

“What kind of favor?”

_“I need me some water_

_In the worst way_

_Look at my branches_

_I’m a goner honey”_

“Oh nothing too taxing really it’s just… those codes Moonchild gave you, I need you to type them into the security system. You did attack one of their own after all, most of them probably won’t take too kindly to that. If you want any sort of chance at a clean getaway you’ll have to type those in. Otherwise well, you’ll probably end up dead.”

“Right…”

_Come on and give me a drink_

_“I don’t know if I should”_

“So, like I said, I’ll need you to type those in before we do anything else.”

Something still seems wrong here.

“I honestly don’t know if I should.”

There’s a sour note ringing out in this tune. But how to find it?

\---

_Hey, little lady, be nice_

_“You just want water right?”_

“Somehow I thought you’d be just a bit nicer to me considering you’re such close friends with Sam.”

A tone starts ringing out again, a nudge here, a nudge there and soon enough you start believing Lawrence. Why? Well, Sam’s bound to rain hellfire on him if he hurts you. Everyone in Abel’s surrounding area knows that. Which means Moonchild’s heard that and Lawrence probably has too. So, obviously then, he wouldn’t hurt you. Right? Because otherwise he’d have a horde of angry Runners after him.

But even still…

“This is the _only_ thing you want me to do, right? You _only_ want me to type in these shutdown codes?”

\---

_Sure do, I’ll drink it straight_

_“Your branches are dry poor thing”_

_Don’t need no glass or no ice_

_“I’ll get the can”_

“Yes,” Lawrence verifies. “The _only_ thing you need to do is type in those codes. And then you’re free to go. You know since you’re having such a hard time trusting me.”

“Oh that was… I’m sorry.”

“No, no I get it. I wouldn’t trust me either if I were you. Certainly not with the past you have.”

You make a humming sound as you stare at the screen again.

“So again that first code is 3358,” Lawrence says.

You nod and start typing it in. Once that’s done Lawrence gives you the second code, “berries”.

\---

_Don’t need no twist of lime_

_“Here we go”_

“That’s kind of an odd word for a passcode,” you say.

“That’s probably why it’s the passcode then, isn’t it,” Lawrence asks. “Makes it harder to guess and all. That’s enough talk, just type it in and get out of there. There are already people milling around the door. You’ll need every second you can get if you want to get away without any nasty rumors about Abel starting.”

_And now it’s suppertime!_

You type in the second access code and an announcement comes on about how there’s five minutes to an _explosion._

Mass panic and hysteria start up outside. Screaming too and something about lifeboats? The ComanSys folks have almost certainly forgotten all about the silly little Runner in their security room. They’ve got a much bigger problem on their hands.

You push yourself away from the security console and start looking for anyone who’s still struggling to find a way out of there. It won’t erase anything you’ve done. Not at all. But you want to at least help someone get off this ship alive. At least then you’ll be able to live with yourself. Because you can be sure that you tried to fix it. At least a little.

\---

_“Relax sweetheart and it’ll be easier._

_Come on, join your dentist friend_

_And Mushnik, they’re right inside!”_

A hand covers your mouth and nose before you can think about it properly. From there on it’s a desperate scrabble to get away. One you’re sure you won’t win. When you see a flash of orange in your peripheral vision you fight harder, maybe you won’t win. But good God you’ve got to try. You’ve got to buy Sam enough time to evacuate as many people as he can. Because that’s who he is and that’s what he does. He always comes through for you. Always. Even now. You can hear him trying desperately to get people to stay calm and evacuate.

_“HELP!”_

You want to scream for help or tell him you’re sorry or _something_ because you’re definitely losing now. Absolutely, totally losing and you don’t want to die alone. But your selective mutism works against you again, and the words lock themselves tight into your throat.

You fight harder to compensate. You have to buy him time. You have to buy him time.

_“Audrey NO…_

_Get off of her_

_Get off of her”_

Those are your thoughts even as your head gets bashed into a wall and you start to black out and you hear Sam, the real one, start screaming desperately for you to wake up and join everyone else that he’s managed to evacuate.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this over five days with no beta. Hope you enjoyed this!


End file.
